


Welcome to Demacia

by ChocDog



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Jinx is very much the tough girl you don't want your daughter dating, Meet the Family, Meeting the Parents, Period-Typical Sexism, Protectiveness, Xenophobia, especially if you don't want her dating girls at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22663294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocDog/pseuds/ChocDog
Summary: The Crownguards just wanted what was best for their daughter. Someone who would make a good husband, a strong, handsome soldier with a heart of gold, powered by pure Demacian blood.Jinx doesn't quite fit that description, but Lux is determined to make them see the good in her anyway.
Relationships: Luxanna "Lux" Crownguard/Jinx
Comments: 15
Kudos: 147





	1. Chapter 1

Jinx hated lots of things. Children, justice, neatness. She hated prissy do-gooders and boredom, she hated the elite class and inflated egos (besides her own, of course.) More than anything, she hated the combination of these things all at once, the ultimate culmination of all things she despised: Demacia.

Unable to destroy it thanks to the looming threat of being crushed by a colossus, the next best thing was to avoid it like the plague on society that it was, in Jinx' eyes. Unfortunately, Jinx may hate many things but there are also those which she loves: Curry, anarchy, destruction.

And more recently, a pretty Demacian girl by the name of Luxanna.

Before that fateful day on the wharf of Piltover, Jinx was certain she would die before she graced Demacia with even a second of her presence. She looked out over the wharf from her spot atop the Clockwork Vault, a location she'd first discovered while on the run from a certain law-enforcing duo during her early days of mayhem causing. She found now that the height brought her peace: from up here, she could take in the many miles left of untouched Piltovan city, just begging to be blown up. It was a reminder that there was always another day, another building to destroy.

The sun was reluctantly slipping down the now orange-tinted sky, signalling the end of another work day for Runeterra's merchants. Ships from Bilgewater, Noxus, and even Demacia were docked at the wharf, streams of disgruntled staff carrying wares, boxes, and tables aboard the ships. Beyond them, the blue sea gleamed brilliantly under the sun, a band of white not unlike one of Lux's light bursts stretching along the calm surface.

Jinx still remembered watching the arrival of the ship that changed her life right at this very spot, barely seven moons ago.

It had been a typical weekday morning, the ships arriving at dawn to set up in the markets before the everyday fanfare began. Jinx had been eyeing up an enormous, stark-white ship with streaks of gold gleaming its mast and prow, luxurious wing-like sails flying high in the morning breeze. Immediately, Jinx was intrigued. Very rarely did the noble Demacians venture outside their haven safe from magic and crime, much less in a vessel this grand.

The moment she caught sight of the first woman to disembark, Jinx understood.

One wand-snatching, stern lecturing, and wild goosechase later, Jinx had successfully tangled herself in Lux' life. At first, Lux claimed she didn't enjoy bailing Jinx out of jail every other week, she insisted that it was 'improper' to show up at her balcony in the hopes of sneaking her out, but Jinx knew her better.

It had taken Lux the better half of a few months to finally admit her feelings; and several tankards of the heaviest Frejordian ale. Jinx looked over at her now, eyes closed with a smile as the evening breeze tickled her face, blond hair flowing out behind her like a river of sunshine.

It was worth the wait.

"You're lucky you're so nice to look at, or else I would have gone crazy sitting here by now," Jinx said, leaning back on her hands as her fishnet-clad legs stretched out in front of her.

Lux, who sat cross-legged, opened her eyes to meet Jinx' gaze, an eyebrow raised. "Really?"

"Actually, no," said Jinx, grinning at the sight of Lux' horrified expression. "I'm already crazy."

Jinx laughed as Lux sighed to herself, flicking a spark of light straight into her partner's face. "You're not as funny as you think you are, you know."

"Really?" Jinx asked, mocking Lux' tone from earlier. When she only received an eye roll in response, Jinx continued to laugh and pulled a cigarette from her pocket, popping it between her lips as she nudged Lux for a light.

Lux feigned disapproval for a moment, before finally bringing a finger gleaming with light to the tip of Jinx' cigarette. Jinx breathed in, pulling away once the tip was sufficiently aglow.

"Please try not to smoke tonight, we don't really have them in Demacia."

"Jeez, yesterday it was you don't have Hextech, tomorrow I bet you're gonna tell me you don't have guns," Jinx teased, exhaling the smoke from her lungs. She looked over at Lux, eyes widening at the sight of her pursed lips. "You guys don't have guns?!"

"I didn't wanna tell you until later because I knew you wouldn't take it well!" Lux rushed to say, but Jinx already had both hands wrapped around Fishbones.

"What am I supposed to do, they'll get so lonely without me..." said Jinx, stroking the back of her rocket launcher as though it was the one in need of comfort.

Lux mimicked the action, running her hand down Jinx' back soothingly. "Let's leave them at your place before we go, and you'll see them again later!"

Jinx wasn't sure whether she found Lux' willingness to engage in her bouts of make-believe adorable or condescending. In truth, it was probably both. Jinx sucked the end of her cigarette like a pacifier, turning a good chunk of the thing to ash in one pull. "You people are barbaric."

"I told you! It's nothing like Piltover. Why do you think I was so amazed when I first got here..." Lux trailed off, looking back to the city in awe.

Jinx made a 'blegh' sound, pretending she didn't find Lux' starstruck expression adorable. "If you're impressed by this shithole then I'll eat my hat if Demacia is more than a bunch of huts surrounding a fire."

Lux stood up, still watching the watery sunlight bend as it streamed through Piltover's many glass structures dotted around the city. "Keep that in mind!" she exclaimed, beaming down at Jinx. "I don't want you to have a big idea about Demacia. You've seen some of it, my house is in the nice part, and I know you hate it. It's really.. not as impressive as everyone thinks," she looked uncomfortable for a second, but quickly shook it off. Lux was good at that. "Also, you don't wear a hat."

"Flashlight," Jinx said, pausing to blow out another wisp of smoke. "I saw the ship you came here on, I see most of Demacia when I'm flying over it to visit you, and I'm not an idiot. Completely, at least."

The pair exchanged a knowing look between them, Jinx smiling reassuringly at Lux' worried frown. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be a blast. I'm not worried about your fancy shmancy kingdom. Also, do you think I should wear a hat? Maybe one like Cupcakes, but with a really big feather on the side- Actually, lets just steal hers."

Jinx was cut off by Lux' muffled laughter, her face hidden by a pale hand. Jinx wished she was less shameful about her amusement. "Maybe another night," she said with a smirk. Lux seemed to be catching on to how much Jinx loved when she let her inner bad girl slip out. "But we don't have much time. We should go, the ship will be leaving soon."

Jinx took one final drag from her cigarette as she stood up, ashing it on the underside of her combat boot. She prepared to flick it off the roof, but paused at the sight of Lux' crossed arms and questioning expression out of the corner of her eye. "Fine, you wanna practise your aim, then? Think fast!" Jinx shouted, not giving her partner time to answer before tossing the cigarette butt in a high arc towards her.

Lux squeaked, her body tightening up as she hurriedly shot a beam of white-hot light from her finger, incinerating the object in seconds. Several flecks of ash fell at the young woman's iron boots.

Reminiscent of when they'd first met, startling Lux was an activity Jinx never tired of. She laughed, clapping her hands together as she stepped towards the now blushing mage. "You are so unfair," Lux stammered, turning away to hide her smile.

"At least I'm not afraid of a little cigarette butt," Jinx teased, kicking the ash between them aside as she took Lux into her arms. "Look, you killed it."

"I'm not afraid of-"

The sentence went unfinished as Jinx further invaded Lux' space, silencing her with a deep kiss. Instantly, Lux softened; her hands reaching up to hold Jinx' shoulders as her body leaned into her. Jinx felt Lux extend up onto her tip-toes, well aware of the height difference between them. Her fingerless-gloved hands fell onto Lux' hips, just above the iron pleated skirt she wore over her black leggings.

Even after all this time, Jinx was still surprised by how perfectly Lux' small yet lean body fitted against her. How good her lips tasted, their sweet essence meeting her own smokey flavour in an unlikely yet intoxicating combination. Just as Jinx' hands started to slip, Lux smiled against her lips and pushed her back, resulting in an annoyed whine from the taller woman.

"C'mon..."

Lux stepped out of Jinx' grasp, flashing her a playful grin. "You come on~"

Without another word, Lux walked backwards towards the roof's edge, a mischievous gleam in her eyes before she leapt off the side: straight down into the four hundred-foot drop.

Jinx smacked a palm into her face, before diving down head first after her. The Clockwork Vault was situated above a promenade like another other: the market street below was paved with stone, currently walked across by several families enjoying the evening warmth and merchants packing down their stands. The sight of two women splattering into a bloody mess right before their eyes would certainly not be what they had in mind. It would be hilarious though, Jinx thought.

Thankfully for Lux, Jinx happened to care just slightly more about her than she did about causing chaos. Her twin braids flapped wildly as she fell, her body streamlined like a missle to catch up with the laughing blonde below her. The added weight of her guns on her back meant that Jinx had caught Lux in her arms about halfway to the ground, corkscrewing around in mid-fall until they were holding each other right way up; Fishbones sandwiched between them, muzzle down.

"I hope he's got enough in the tank for this!" Jinx yelled over the sound of the wind rushing in her ears, slamming her fist onto a button on Fishbone's side. The weapon spat and hissed as it began to belch fire, its metal heating up rapidly against Jinx' exposed stomach. Below them, the ground was rapidly zooming closer and closer, less of the skyline visible and more the sides of buildings as they neared their peaks.

Just as they were about to become the next desecration on the pavement, the weapon roared out a sudden burst of energy in a fiery blaze, slowing them down just enough that they could safely jump off without their bones shattering. Jinx' feet touched the ground, as they had done hundreds of times before after this reckless yet frequent endeavour, and her trustworthy mini-rocket clattered to her feet.

She scooped it up, ignoring the petrified mother and child gawking behind her, and hoisted it over her back. "One of these days we're both gonna, like, explode doing that, you know," Jinx started, feigning a serious frown as she looked at Lux, who was struggling to smooth out her hair after the ride. She looked over, curious.

Jinx grinned manically. "It'll be so good! Picture this: chunks of our bodies, my arm, your leg, my head with my brains falling out of it, our organs all bloody and gooey, raining down on this shitty town-"

"Yes, yes, very good, let's go now!" Lux cut her off, pushing her excitable heartlight away from the now crying child and his equally traumatized mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

After detouring to drop all but one of Jinx' weapons at her flat in Zaun and exchange Jinx' liberal attire for a slightly more modest black dress, the two women had scrambled aboard the Demacian-bound trade ship in the nick of time. The remaining weapon was not revealed to Lux until about half way through the journey, when a passing deck cadet had the audacity to question Jinx' presence on the ship.

The poor boy had ended up with an electrified gun to his head and a now furious criminal behind the trigger. "What did you say you little shit?! You think I'm not good enough for your stupid fancy boat?!"

"Jinx! What did I say back in Zaun?" Lux stammered, yanking on Jinx' arm. "He's just a kid!"

"Yeah well I was just a kid when I robbed my first bank," Jinx replied, eyes still staring daggers into the cadet's trembling soul. "Kids are little monsters."

Lux groaned out loud and shoved herself between the cadet and the gun, pushing the barrel of it down with two fingers. "Put it away," she said firmly, her free hand on her hip.

Reluctantly, Jinx slid the gun back into its holster in her shorts, but not before glaring so hard at the cadet that he would probably be afraid of women for the rest of his life. He scurried away like a startled mouse, leaving the pair alone at the railing that protected the deck from the choppy sea below.

"He's lucky you were there to save his ass," Jinx said, resting her elbows on the railing behind her as she leaned back.

It was a joke, but Lux wasn't smiling as she came to stand beside Jinx, leaning forward on the railing to look out at the sea. Once again, Jinx was treated to the sight of Lux' magnificent blonde mane flying in the salty breeze, the setting sun casting a warm glow on her forlorn features.

She could have stared all day, if it weren't for that frown. "Luxy-poo?" Jinx asked. "Don't worry, I wasn't really gonna shoot him. I just wanted to see if he'd piss himself."

"I really want tonight to go well, Jinx," Lux sighed, looking down at her fingers as they dangled off the railing, twirling a band of light between them. "I know it's hard for you but, just please don't do something like that around my family."

If Jinx was hurt, it was impossible to tell. She flicked her hair out of her face, smirking. "Relax, babes. Your parents are gonna love me, how could they not? I'm awesome."

Lux' lip curled up a little. "I don't know about love, but I hope they at least don't hate you."

"Good enough for me!" Jinx exclaimed, nudging Lux' shoulder. "So, give me the rundown. How do I impress em? Or, make them not hate me. I'm pretty sure I already made a great impression on your brother but I mean the rest."

Jinx grinned as she watched the blush appear on Lux' face, almost certainly remembering the night of Garen's first encounter with the loose cannon. It was a Tuesday; Garen and Tianna had a meeting with the rest of the Dauntless Vanguard, and her parents disappeared for their weekly elbow-rubbing with Prince Jarvan's court. It was the one night a week that Lux had the house to herself.

Or so they had thought.

Little did either of them know that shortly after Jinx' arrival via Lux' bedroom balcony, Garen had returned home, feeling ill. It was only once the pair were in bed, naked, and very much connected that they were made aware of Garen's presence in the house: which he announced by loudly barging into Lux' room after a suspiciously loud moan, sword drawn.

Jinx hadn't even bothered to put her clothes back on before darting out of the room like a deer caught in the headlights of Garen's death stare, leaping onto Fishbones and quite literally blasting off and out of Demacia. It was messy, but at least she'd gotten a kick out of scaring a local Piltover man with her stark nudity as she'd touched down on its turf: right before she stole his clothes.

"Somehow, your impression must not have been that bad, since they invited you around for dinner basically right after Garen told them what happened," Lux explained, eyebrows furrowed as if she couldn't quite make sense of what she was saying.

"Woah, really?" Jinx asked. "I thought you just, like, begged them not to have me executed and this dinner was gonna be like, my trial to see if I get to keep my head."

Lux placed a reassuring hand on Jinx' arm, still warm with the heat of her magic. Jinx hardly needed it, she was happy to be wanted no matter what the reasoning, which was precisely why she so craved the chase of the law. Still, the touch of the woman she loved always brought a smile to her face.

"I think its more about if I get to keep my head. Or at least my Crownguard privileges. All they know is that we're together, and that itself isn't so bad. Auntie is always saying I need to marry soon, I'm sure she'll be overjoyed that-"

Lux paused mid rant, catching the suggestive look in Jinx' eyes. "What?"

Jinx wiggled her eyebrows. "You wanna marry me, huh?"

"No! I mean, not yet! I don't know! That's not what I meant!" Lux squealed, her bright red blush even more highlighted under her pale skin. Lux threw a ball of glittery sparks at Jinx' face, which only made the taller woman laugh harder.

When the next ball was thrown, Jinx caught Lux' outstretched arm and pulled her closer, spinning around so Lux was backed up against the railing, locked in Jinx' grasp. One hand clutched the railing behind Lux, the other still gripped her arm soft enough as to not hurt her, yet firm enough that she couldn't pull it back.

Their bodies were so close now, Jinx' skinny form towering above Lux. She looked down, that signature shit-eating grin only widening when Lux flushed even redder, the colour finding its way down to her neck.

"Let's face it, Luxy," Jinx purred. "You're in love with me."

For someone who was so out of control, Jinx loved to be in control. But she was a little out of practise. Lux was far better at it; Jinx knew all too well that behind the blushing princess there was a hardened master of manipulation. Or maybe Jinx was just easily persuaded.

Even now, Jinx felt her resolve crack the very moment Lux' soft hand reached up to cup her cheek, her sweet smile melting Jinx' icy glare in an instant. "I think you might be right about that," she said quietly, and Jinx couldn't help but swoon, nuzzling her cheek against Lux' hand like a particularly affectionate kitten.

Jinx was never very good at being vulnerable. She was a survivor. A Zaunite through and through: no one soft ever lasted long. But sometimes it felt nice to feel protected, to feel cared for, not just wanted. Sometimes.

"Gah, you're gonna kill me with all this sappy shit," Jinx groaned suddenly, releasing Lux as she backed herself against the railing next to her, letting her upper body hang freely over the edge of the ship. "Where is this place anyway? I'm so bored, this ship is so boring! God, are we there yet?!

"Yes! We're here, settle down," Lux said soothingly, pulling Jinx up by the arm when she was seconds away from falling overboard. "Look."

Once upright, Jinx followed Lux' gaze to the land they were quickly approaching. She was looking at a grandiose city of stone and marble, watched over by a distant colossus that cast a shadow miles across as the sun set behind him, lights rays shining out from his silhouette like a holy symbol. Truly a beacon of hope, a shining paragon.

"Gross," Jinx muttered. She received a swift pinch to the ear. "I mean, wow! So pretty!" she tried again, using far too much enthusiasm.

Lux ignored her, already dragging Jinx to the front of the queue to disembark the ship, even the grumpiest sailors immediately parting for Luxanna Crownguard and her much less impressive consort. They watched the men drop the anchor and prepare the bridge between the wharf and the ship, just about bowing for Lux as she stepped across it, unbothered by any of the crew.

Jinx bit back a slew of jokes, somehow managing to control herself only until they were alone in the back of the horse-drawn carriage that had been sent to collect her by Tianna. "And now announcing, her majesty, her holiness, her supreme grace: Luxanna Crownguard!" Jinx mocked, dramatically performing her perception of the afternoon.

Lux only rolled her eyes, looking past the cart driver in an effort to see how close they were getting. Jinx sensed her anxiety and took one of Lux' hands in both of her own, drawing her attention. "Flashy, you gotta stop worrying. They wouldn't have invited me over if they didn't want me here, right? It's not like I'm just showing up unexpected. Again."

"I know, I'm sorry," Lux sighed, returning the firm squeeze that Jinx gave her hand. "It's just... they can be a little intense. And while there's no official law against it, two women being together is a little.."

Lux trailed off, looking expectantly at Jinx, who only blinked. "A little... what? Different? Who cares, there ain't nothing wrong with it, right?"

"Yes, exactly!" Lux chirruped, her usual cheerful glow returning. "I just hope they see that when they meet you. I'm sure they will, right? I mean, it's not like we're committing a crime or anything, and even if we were! Some crimes aren't so bad, and they shouldn't even be crimes, right? Like, magic!"

As she rambled, Jinx noticed Lux's now balled up fists beginning to glow and, much more alarmingly, the driver's head starting to turn back to them. Jinx pulled Lux into an embrace, one arm draped around her shoulder as she allowed the feisty mage to rest her body weight against her. "Listen babes, you don't have to tell me about how stupid the law is. But something tells me we should both shut up about that around Lord Pieter and Lady... Uh, what's your mom called again?"

"Augatha. But please just call them Mr and Mrs Crownguard."

"Whatever you say, Miss Crownguard, your majestic godlike surpremeness."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are greatly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

The carriage driver dropped the pair off directly in front of the small stretch of stone that lead up to the House of Crownguard. The walkway was flanked by a luscious, green lawn on either side, protected by various silver statues of victorious warriors planted in the grass. During they day they probably looked magnificent, Jinx thought, but dusk had settled over Demacia and the only light to illuminate them was provided by the twinkling stars above.

"Damn," Jinx breathed, red eyes wide as she took it all in. "I've only ever seen it from the side. This is what your actual house looks like? Why the fuck are we always sleeping at mine when you live in a palace?"

"Don't act like you're actually impressed," Lux teased, pushing Jinx with the shoulder as they walked.

Jix dropped her jaw, offended. "No way! but hey, a girl likes to be comfortable," said Jinx. "But it's for the best we don't stay here. I'd probably blow this place up within a day. Too boring. It needs some colour. Ooh! Can I spray paint it?"

Just as the two stopped before the huge front double doors, Lux nudged Jinx again to signal that the time for chit-chat was over. Jinx watched as Lux took in a long, calming inhale. She gave her hand a quick squeeze, flashing her a smile. Lux returned it, but Jinx could still tell something was bothering her heartlight. She swallowed the feeling down as Lux knocked delicately at the doors.

Before Jinx could comment that there was no chance anyone heard such a puny knock, one of the doors creaked open halfway to reveal a tall man protected from head to toe in steel armor, clutching a spear in his free hand. "Luxanna," he greeted, bowing. "Welcome home."

"Thank you, Gadson," Lux answered with a smile, slipping past the guard to enter, who stood aside for her like she was royalty. As Jinx moved to follow, the guard once again blocked the entrance with his wide body, scowling at the intruder.

"What business do you have with the House of Crownguard?" he demanded, and Jinx resisted the urge to pull out Zapper for a second time.

Jinx watched a tiny hand appear on Gadson's shoulder, tugging him back. The man barely moved an inch. "This is Jinx, we're having her over for dinner. Why did no one tell you?"

"I'm sorry Miss Crownguard, but I received no word of this from Lord Pieter."

While Lux and the guard bickered, Jinx twirled one of her long plaits like a lasso to keep from interrupting with some snarky quip that was sure to go underappreciated. She failed to see how her presence warranted such a reaction: she'd seen military men carrying swords the size of Lux on her way here, what threat was she compared to them?

After what seemed like far too long, an authoritative voice cut through the squabble, silencing both parties at once.

"That's enough."

Jinx heard a slow clacking of steel on what sounded like marble, followed by a profuse apology from Gadson before he scampered away. The source of his sudden nerves approached the doors, pulling them both open so Jinx could marvel at her complete form.

A woman stood before Jinx, taller even than her and twice as wide in her rounded steel shoulder-guards and corresponding cape. She had blonde hair similar to Lux', albeit longer and straighter. It was also slightly greying at the roots, a sign of her age; over fifty Jinx guessed from the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. Despite this, she stood proud like a statue, the armor on her chest and skirt reflecting back a distorted version of Jinx' face, which she had to fight back the urge to laugh at.

"Tianna Crownguard, charmed," the woman announced like she was the most important person in all of Valoran. She extended her hand, unsmiling.

Jinx scooped the hand up and shook it a little more vigorously than was necessary. "Jinx, the pleasure is all mine," she greeted. She offered Lux, who was watching as intently as she could from behind Tianna, a reassuring smile.

"I hope you found the journey here sufficiently comfortable," Tianna said, somewhat sarcastically. "Come, I'm sure you're both starving."

Seemingly sensing the imminent overly-enthusiastic agreement from Jinx, Lux quickly spoke up, pulling Jinx behind as they followed Tianna inside. "There's no rush, we'll eat when dinner is ready!"

While Lux closed the doors, Jinx scanned her new surroundings with wide eyes. The foyer was easily bigger than her entire flat; the creamy marble floor stretching for what seemed like miles. In the center the floor was colored slightly darker in a pattern, displaying a crest of some sort. This shape was positioned just before the beginning of a humongous set of stairs that spilled out from the upper level of the palace, covered by an arched, pillar-held roof so high it made Jinx feel like a Yordle in a castle.

"Your place is rad," Jinx breathed, allowing Lux to pull her along by the wrist as she continued to stare in awe.

"This is not my 'place'," Tianna said, her voice echoing through the spacious room. "But you can give your compliments to the owners. Follow me."

Tianna disappeared behind a pillar, presumably into another room. Jinx walked alongside Lux, noting the significant distance she seemed to be keeping between them. "How am I doing?" she asked.

"Good," Lux whispered like it was a secret, scouting all around her before stopping to press a quick peck to Jinx' cheek. "You're doing great, let's try to keep it that way."

"Yes ma'am," Jinx answered, following Lux through one of the many passageways in the foyer, until they found themselves standing in a large, mostly empty dining room.

The room was devoid of furniture save for the almost comically long dining table in the centre, the chairs surrounding it, and several wall mounted torches that bathed the room in yellow light. Between each torch stood a mute guard, each one equally spaced apart and identical as though they too were part of the decor. At least one doorway was situated on each wall, one was emitting an warm, enticing aroma signature to that of a kitchen, while the one opposite was open to reveal a smaller, outdoor dining area.

Seated at the center of the table was a woman with two men on her either side, one of which Jinx remembered as the man who had so rudely interrupted her visit a few weeks ago. She bit her tongue to avoid laughing as the memory of Lux' mortified scream echoed in her ears, the feeling of the cold night air on Jinx' completely nude body as she sprung out the window.

Tianna stopped in front of the table to address her family. "Everyone, please meet Miss... Forgive me, what did you say your name was again?"

"Oh, it's Jinx. Just Jinx."

"Don't be ridiculous, child," Tianna grunted, despite the fact that Jinx was only slightly younger than half her age. "I'll not call you by your given name on the very day we've met. What is your family name?"

"Don't really have one!" Jinx said cheerfully, oblivious to the disapproving glares being thrown her way.

Tianna narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe that. What was your father's name?"

Jinx scratched her head as she searched for an answer. "Umm... Damn, someone just told me what it was last week, uhhh... Sorry, I lost it. I never met the guy, so everything I know about him comes from other people. Apparently he was a pretty cool dude though. Just not cool enough to be a dad."

Tianna blinked slowly. "I see. And what about your mother?"

"Ah, she died when I was little. I don't really remember her," Jinx said, significantly calmer. She felt Lux take a step towards her, saw her hand reach out, but her touch was absent.

After several moments of unbearable silence, Lux cleared her throat. "Shall we sit?" she asked, gesturing to the table.

Tianna made a 'mm' sound and stalked around to the side of the table where the Crownguards sat, leaving Lux and Jinx to sit opposite everyone else. As she walked past them, Tianna introduced each family member accordingly.

"Garen, the Dauntless Vanguard leader and our greatest warrior. Augatha, the keeper of this estate, and Pieter, my brother and advisor."

"It is an honor to meet you all, you have a lovely home," Jinx spoke Lux's script like clockwork, taking her seat next to the blonde.

Equally as automatic, the family responded in kind.

"Indeed."

"Likewise."

"Mhm."

There was a limit to the extent of Jinx' social inadequacy. She could detect that she was not wholly welcome, but she showed no sign of fear. For what seemed like an eternity, they sat, until Jinx was the first to break the silence.

"So... Garen! Lux tells me you're like, the king of the military or whatever? What's that like?" Jinx asked confidently, unfazed by the four burning pairs of eyes on her.

Garen, who was still wearing his comically large pauldrons not unlike those on Tianna's shoulders, did not look impressed. "I'm the sword-captain. It's not an easy task, but it must be done. You never know when we might be under siege, we've got to always be prepared."

Jinx saw Lux flash an angry look in her brother's direction, as though he'd said something offensive. If he did, Jinx couldn't tell. She carried on. "Sounds like a lotta responsibility! How do you cope? Man, I'd probably go even more nuts under all that pressure!"

Garen looked taken aback for a moment, as if he couldn't quite think of an answer. He took a few moments to settle on one. "My loyalty to Demacia is all I need to carry on," he said calmly. It seemed as though Garen only spoke when he was sure he could do so without any pauses for thought.

Tianna looked on approvingly. She was probably where he'd picked the habit up from, Jinx thought. "Garen is my successor to the position. Demacia owes a lot to him."

"I'll bet," Jinx agreed. "Keeping the streets safe, I know it's an important job. Gotta love the peacekeepers!"

A fist fell hard upon Jinx' thigh from her side, an order to reign in the forced enthusiasm. Jinx couldn't help it, it was beyond her ability to speak well about law-enforcement with even a shred of sincerity.

"Speaking of vocations," Pieter spoke at last. "What exactly do you do for a living, Jinx?"

Jinx opened her mouth to answer, but was promptly interrupted by a burst of speech from Lux. "Jinx is currently between jobs!" she exclaimed, looking frantically to Jinx to beg for her compliance.

She nodded along. "That's right, I'm kinda just going with the flow right now. I'm not a huge fan of commitment."

"Have you ever even had a job?" Augatha asked, making no effort to mask her disapproval as she scowled at Jinx.

"Hmm.. I used to run errands and make gadgets for this inventor guy, and sometimes he would sell em' and give me the money, does that count?" Jinx started.

Lux knew the story and picked up where Jinx left off. "That's right, you were Viktor's apprentice, weren't you?"

"Viktor?" Pieter spat. "I know about him. That fool murdered dozens of innocent people in one night with his ungodly tampering. He ought to be locked up forever!"

Jinx ignored the fact that the people in question were from Zaun, meaning a person like Pieter obviously had no real interest in their well-being unless it made him look morally superior. "I mean, they were kinda already dead. He was trying to save them," Jinx said, for she had heard the same story herself, but from multiple unbiased mouths.

Pieter leaned forward on his chair, his aged features crinkling even more as he scowled. "He's a mad-man. I'm surprised you're even still human, if you were in his company at any point."

Jinx shrugged. "He's not so bad. He put a roof over my head and hot food in my belly, and all I had to do was get radiation poisoning while scrounging for chem-tech every once in a while. Pretty sweet deal if you asked me!"

At the mention of food, a low gurgling sound rose up from under the table, all eyes falling upon Jinx like she'd just committed treason. Lux was quick to interject before anyone could comment. "Whoops, sorry!" Lux laughed awkwardly, patting her belly.

In truth it was not Jinx' hunger that had announced its presence to the room, nor Lux'. Yet whomever it was had conveniently looked to Jinx like everyone else in an effort to mask their own shame. Jinx knew it and anger began to rise in her core, but she kept her mouth locked tight.

Across from her, Tianna sighed and snapped her fingers. In an instant, an entourage of servants filed into the room from all entrances, holding drinks close to their chests or silver platters high in the air. Jinx marveled in awe as each one placed his platter or jug down methodically, announcing the name of the dish as they lifted each cloche to reveal it.

Before long a sizable selection was displayed along the table: breads, meats, roasted vegetables and fine cheeses. Jinx swallowed as she watched Tianna pour herself and her family a wine each before turning to Jinx, an eyebrow cocked.

"You'll have a drink, won't you Jinx?" Tianna asked.

Ignoring the bug in her brain that insisted she accuse Tianna of poisoning it for no particular reason, Jinx smiled and politely raised her hands up as she shook her head. "I shouldn't, thank you though," she said through gritted teeth.

Declining free alcohol was ludicrous even for Jinx, the personification of the word 'outrageous.' But she and Lux both knew the rather potent effect it had on her already wired brain; tonight was too important to run the risk of a spontaneous combustion or overly-graphic retelling of one of the Loose Cannon's many endeavours.

Tianna smiled almost painfully insincerely. "Nonsense, I insist," she offered again, gesturing for Jinx to pass over her wine glass.

Growing desperate, Jinx looked to Lux for support before declining a second time. "Really, I'm good with just water. Refreshing stuff, wouldn't you say?"

"Auntie," Lux stated, before Tianna had a chance to speak again. Her face was calm but there was a plea in her eyes.

The older woman scowled and placed the bottle down. "Fine. Although I must say I'm rather surprised. I've never known a Zaunite to turn down a drink, let alone a fine Demacian sherry like this," said Tianna, taking a long sip from her glass.

Jinx felt a warm hand clutch her own under the table, only just managing to tame the rage brewing rapidly within her. "Really it's those Piltovans you oughta watch out for," Jinx answered, smiling wickedly through her glare. It was the kind of look she gave someone as she plotted the imminent annihilation of their residence. "Most of us in Zaun can't afford this high end sh- stuff."

By this point, Garen and his parents had already helped themselves and were excusing themselves from any conversation with mouthfuls of food. Lux prepared a plate for both herself and Jinx, as she was already engaged in a vicious staring contest with Tianna.

"Forgive me if our lifestyle is a little too far from home," said the older woman. "But I assume you knew what to expect, being with Luxanna."

Jinx found herself momentarily distracted by the mountain of food Lux placed before her; more than she would eat in a week while growing up. The sweet scent of chutney and berry sauces beckoned her, the grilled pheasant breast practically calling her name. "I love you, woman," Jinx muttered under her breath. In her head it was aimed at Lux, but her eyes never left the hot, steaming pheasant lying ready to be devoured.

A sharp elbow jabbed into her side popped Jinx' daydream like a bullet through a bubble. "Oh, right, yeah it's not really what I'm used to, but I like it! I don't know why Lux ever leaves," Jinx started, impaling the pheasant with her fork.

"Funny," said Garen, slamming his wine glass down with such force it was a wonder it didn't shatter under his huge paws. "We've been wondering the same thing."

Jinx felt a pang of guilt hit her chest like a rocket. Shamefully, she looked over to her heartlight, perking up when she saw that Lux was unfazed. Confident, even. Like her family's passive-aggression was commonplace.

"I leave because this world is so much bigger than Demacia, and I never knew that before I left! it's full of life and color and light and, and... beauty.." Lux trailed off, a pink blush dusting her cheeks as she smiled over at Jinx.

"All of those things exist in Demacia," Garen piped up again. "Outside lies dangers and horrors that you can't defend yourself against alone."

"She's not alone," Jinx dared to say, braving the blood-curdling scowl Garen threw at her. "I know Piltover and Zaun like the back of my guns- Ouch!"

Jinx frowned, a spray of obscenities readied on her lips following the pinch, but she immediately calmed down at the sight of Lux' frantic eyes. "Uh, my guns as in my arms, that is!" Jinx stammered, flexing both of them dramatically. Lux cringed into her wine glass.  


This night was not going according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are greatly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Almost immediately, Jinx had dropped her arms, happy she didn't have the active mental pathways that allowed her to feel embarrassed after that poor excuse of a joke. Fortunately, Garen was willing to change the subject. "What are those markings on your arm?"

"Oh, these?" Jinx asked, pointing to a small design of a cloud on her bicep. It was one of many that dotted the length of her arm and some of her upper body, most of which had been covered by her dress.

Garen nodded, his elbows braced on the table as he rested his chin on his knuckles, hands clasped together as though one would when holding a sword to the ground.

"I got most of 'em when I was 17. It started with just one, but the pain was just so addictive! Not in a weird way though, in like uhh.. damn if i go through it again I get another one? Count me in!"

"Pain?" Augatha asked, a withered hand on her chest as though she might have a heart attack at any moment.

At her side, Lux answered, a hand gently touching Jinx' arm to indicate that she would speak first. "They're called 'tattoos', mother. The people in Piltover and Zaun use needles with ink on them to create permanent works of art on the skin, but they have to go through the pain of the needle."

"These markings... hurt you?" Garen asked, but not out of concern.

"Oh, damn right it hurt. Not now, but while you're gettin' 'em? I screamed so loud that Fathands probably heard and jumped for joy."

"Fathands?" Pieter asked.

Lux was quick to answer, but not quite quick enough. "She's a-"

"She's a useless piece of bad word is what she is, always getting in my way, with her 'freeze!' this and 'come out with your hands up!' that. So boring!" Jinx groaned, throwing her hands up to emphasize her distaste for the police officer in question.

The room was silent as they processed the information. The only sound was the muffled chewing of Jinx' food, and the much quieter silent scream Lux seemed to be only barely holding back.

Finally, Tianna's sharp voice sliced through the dough-thick tension. "Luxanna," she stated. "Do you have one of these 'tattoos?'"

Lux waved her arms back and forth wildly. "No no no! Of course not!"

"Do you want one?" Garen demanded.

"No! I mean... Wait, no!" Lux finished, remembering her present company.

"What would you get, a picture of our family crest with a cross over it?" Pieter bellowed, shaking either from rage or the fact that he was just old. Jinx sunk down into her seat, nibbling a piece of bread. As much as it pained her to see Lux under attack, she had enough sense to know now was not the time for more of her shenanigans.

"No, father that would look awful," Lux sighed, clasping her hands together in her lap like Jinx knew she did when she was trying to contain her magic. "I don't want a tattoo."

"You used to say you didn't want to leave Demacia, yet here we are," Garen interjected.

"Why do you keep bringing up leaving Demacia?" said Lux, quickly losing her composure. "You act as though the outside world is some cruel, dangerous place but it's not! Leaving Demacia was the best decision I ever made! What are you all so afraid of?"

"What are we so afraid of? Open your eyes girl, you've brought a Zaunite into our home!" Pieter roared, and the room fell silent.

Jinx heard Lux gasp, saw her reach out from the corner of her eye, but she'd already made up her mind about what to do next. Jinx stood, neatly placing her cutlery back down on the table. Jinx couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this calm by choice and not by a forcibly administered sedative, courtesy of the Piltovan law enforcement.

Pieter's confidence vanished the moment Jinx was at her full, intimidating height. "I, ah, forgive me, that was-"

"I'm just gonna go, uh, step outside for a bit," Jinx said rather awkwardly, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the patio.

"Yes, yes, I think that would be wise," Pieter replied, but Jinx was already halfway towards the exit by the time he'd finished. She could practically feel Lux' eyes boring into her back, her face probably a twist of guilt, anger, and sympathy, but she didn't look back.

Jinx didn't stop marching until she was outside, clicking the patio door shut behind her before she fell back on it, sinking to the ground in defeat. The polished tile beneath her was cold against her bare thighs, the night wind nipping at her exposed, vulnerable skin. She looked up at the twinkling stars above, then out to the pristine garden the patio overlooked: hedges trimmed to the most immaculate detail, a large pond teeming with golden fish, even more of those insufferably self-indulgent statues.

For perhaps the first time in her life since she picked up her first gun; Jinx felt small.

Indifference to the world around her was Jinx' specialty. It wasn't that she was selfish, she simply lacked the ability to face any kind of emotional consequence. The part of one's brain that made them feel guilty after lying, stealing, or committing violent acts was absent in Jinx' head. But she was not completely untouchable.

Lux, for better and worse, had awakened a primal part of Jinx' brain she didn't know still existed. She was still unable to feel ashamed, but she gained the ability to feel something else: hurt.

Usually it was all anger or disappointment for Jinx. Both of those emotions still clashed within her, battling for dominance as they did whenever Jinx was inconvenienced. These epic showdowns determined whether Jinx' bad day ended in a tantrum on her bed or a week long spree of city-wide chaos. 

But this was a little more than an inconvenience. Lux was the only person Jinx had ever been inspired to do better by, the only person she'd ever wanted to impress. Not only had she failed that, but she'd had to sit in silence while the high and mighty Demacians ripped into her?

Jinx rubbed at her eyes with the ball of her hand, finding them suddenly itchy. Blocking Lux' disappointed frown from her mind, she plucked a cigarette from the pouch strapped to her thigh and stuck it between her lips, lighting it on the energy of her Zapper with great difficulty. The thing finally ignited, but not before Jinx had just about electrocuted herself on its highly volatile sparks.

A muffled yell rang out from behind her, high pitched. Unmistakable. Fearing the worst, Jinx braced her ear against the door, listening closely for any indication that Lux needed her help. She would cast aside any remaining dignity she had in Demacia in a heartbeat to keep her heartlight safe.

_"Father, I understand you're upset, but that was crude and undignified."_

_"Do not talk to me about undignified, child! You have brought shame and dishonor to our family!"_

_"What? Because I choose to love who I want?"_

_"You could have chosen anyone you wanted in Demacia, anyone would be lucky to have you. You could have been betrothed to the Prince, you could have been Queen!"_

_"I can’t believe you would rather auction me off to the highest bidder than let me be with who I choose. I would rather die than be queen of this intolerant, close-minded land!"_

_"No? Well good luck becoming the Chem-Queen of Zaun’s underbelly. If you aren't poisoned by fumes or killed by that freak you've dragged into my home."_

_"Don't talk about her that way! Jinx showed me Piltover and Zaun, she's taught me more about Valoran in a week than I've learned here all my life!"_

She was so passionate, like Jinx in a way. But where Jinx's fire was explosive and misdirected, triggered by whatever passes in the moment, Lux always channeled her energy into things with meaning. Her kingdom. Her work. Her relationship. Jinx found it admirable, but she could hear Lux' voice cracking as she rallied against her father's will. She was a headstrong Demacian, but so was he. 

It took feats of mental strength Jinx didn't usually have to keep from barging back in here and blasting the pair of them out of Demacia for good. Jinx sat, dumbfounded. She couldn't leave, but she wasn't welcome. Lux couldn't win this fight, but Jinx knew damn well she wasn't backing down. She had an adorably infuriating stubborn streak. Of course, Lux always referred to it as 'pride.'

Jinx brought her cigarette to her lips, wincing from the cold as she inhaled the cathartic smoke into her lungs. Suddenly, she felt a weak push from behind her, centered right at the gap between the two doors that made up the patio entrance. Jinx shuffled aside allowing one of the doors to open, looking skeptically up at the now open door. Perhaps she was overtsyaing her welcome even by being out here. But the figure who walked through was calm, as though she did not care for Jinx's existence altogether. Tianna.

Jinx sat staring for a moment, feeling rather like the child of two arguing parents, who was being approached by an older, wiser sibling. If only her intentions were that compassionate. Like clockwork, she stepped outside, closed the door behind her, and looked down.

Unfazed, Jinx blew a cloud of smoke directly up at Tianna, her beast-like red eyes staring hot daggers into Tianna's icy blues. Each woman regarded one another, unblinking. From her lowered angle, Jinx could see the sword glinting in the moonlight attached to Tianna's belt. It made the gun on her own thigh feel heavy. She wondered who could draw first.

A few seconds passed. Or perhaps years, Jinx couldn't tell. Eventually, Tianna made a 'hmph' sound and turned away, reaching for her chest. Jinx watched her fingers slip beneath one of the blue layers of fabric worn beneath her armor, quirking an eyebrow when they returned clutching a small, silver case. Jinx didn't have to look twice to know what it was for.

Tianna pulled a cigarette from the case before snapping it shut and returning it to her breast pocket in one quick, practiced motion. "Do you have a match?" Tianna asked through her teeth, which clutched the cigarette's end.

Holding back her onslaught of questions, Jinx wordlessly handed over her own lit cigarette. Tianna grunted her thanks, holding the glowing end of the cigarette to her own and inhaling, her frown lines intensifying as she concentrated.

"Lux told me Demacia didn't have these," Jinx said, accepting her cigarette back when Tianna was finished.

Tianna exhaled enough smoke to make Jinx' throat clench tight. It was one of those thin, long cigarettes, the kind that older women who were wealthy enough to not worry about finding a husband smoked. "We don't. But being a Crownguard has its perks, access to the black market is one of them."

"Huh," Jinx said. If the tension wasn't so high she might have laughed; here was a woman who valued justice above all else, consuming an illegal substance alongside a wanted criminal. Clearly Lux wasn't the only thrill seeker in this family.

"So, I think we should cut to the chase," Tianna stated after a while, too interested in the garden ahead of her to even glance at Jinx. "I'm sure even someone as mentally incapable as you can clearly see that you aren't wanted here."

"Pft, yeah, maybe not by you," Jinx spat back, shaking her head as she took another drag. If this woman was expecting her to break now, she had another thing coming. 

Jinx tried not to bite down on the cigarette in anger when she heard Tianna's quiet yet villainous laugh, the same condescension in it as a certain heavy handed officer she knew.

"Luxanna doesn't want you either, child. She is young and confused, but she will find her way back to the light in time."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jinx said, grinning. "She seems to want me pretty bad when she's screaming my name at night."

Jinx heard a dull clang of metal as Tianna turned her body towards her, glaring straight down. "The House of Crownguard is a distinguished line of soldiers who serve the king and are honored by all throughout Demacia. What makes you think you think a Zaunite scum like you is worthy of even being adjacent to it?"

For a moment, her words were suspended in the air. Neither woman spoke, for what was there to be said?

Then Jinx started to laugh. It was quiet, hidden. Like a kid in school who'd received a funny note. Tianna didn't react, until Jinx threw her head back in a cackle, at which point the older woman took the merest step back. The sound of her laughter was like that of someone who had no remorse, no woes of any kind. Someone who would throw both of them off a cliff without a second thought. A maniac.

""Honored by all of Demacia'" Jinx mocked between her fits, faking an excessively uptight voice. "Lady, what makes YOU think I want to be associated with you stuck-up jerkbags?"

"Why else would you pursue my niece?" Tianna demanded, growing red in the face.

"Uh, because she's rad? She shoots lasers from her hands and doesn't freak out when I do crazy shit. Mostly," Jinx stammered, still giggling. She rose to be near eye-level with Tianna, exhaling a breath of white smoke directly into her face. Tianna didn't flinch. "And she's got some nice tits."

That was all it took. In a flash of silver Tianna drew her blade, but not before Jinx had her Zapper mere inches away from her head. "I wonder who will die first? Hint, it's you."

Behind her fierce exterior, Tianna knew it was true. And so did Jinx. The older woman narrowed her eyes into angry slits, her final, desperate act to intimidate Jinx. But she was facing a woman who had seen people’s skin burn off from radiation and then have their rotting flesh be eaten by plague rats. She was not about to be scared by a retired soldier from the lamest army ever conceived.

Accepting her defeat, Tianna drew her sword. Jinx followed suit, taking a victory drag from her cigarette. 

“Luxanna’s family will never accept this. You. And she will suffer for it.” Tianna said quietly, only a slight hint of fatigue in her voice. “But you clearly can’t be intimidated, which is why we invited you here in the first place.”

“You Targon worshipping do-gooders thought you could scare me? A girl from Zaun? Pft, and they call me crazy,” said Jinx, finishing her cigarette. She extinguished it on the skin of her bare thigh with a sickening sizzle, grinning maniacally at the sensation, before letting it fall onto the clean, immaculate patio ground. The scene made Tianna gag, which only widened Jinx's wildly inappropriate smile. 

Composing herself with a cough and a puff from her cigarette, Tianna continued. “My point still stands. Luxanna’s reputation in Demacia will be tarnished, and her parents will become estranged, because of you. Are you prepared to have that on your conscience?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure I have one of those,” Jinx answered, pretending to think very hard. “Unless you count that little fuzzy guy that follows me around sometimes and tells me which building I should blow up. What was his name… Zigmund? Ziggs? Eh, whatever.”

“So you do not care that you will be the wedge that drives this family apart?” Tianna hissed.

“Lady, I ain’t the one whose driving you weirdo bunch of shut-ins apart. You guys are the ones who can’t just accept her for who she is,” Jinx said, turning away from Tianna as she rambled, hands in the air. “She does tell me about you guys, yunno. How you made her think she was broken all her life for having magic, how you tried to marry her off to a man she barely even knew, man, that’s some fucked up shit!”

Jinx could practically hear Tianna seething with rage. She grinned and whipped around, standing close enough to the old solider to smell the smoke on her breath. “It sounds to me like you lot were pushing her away long before I came around.”

“How dare you-“

“Listen. I don’t care if I make you excommunicate her or whatever. My Luxy deserves better than to have her light blocked out by dinguses like you. Damn, that was so cool. I wish she were here to hear that.”

Ignoring the fact that she’d made the declaration significantly less cool in saying so, Jinx yanked open the door to her side and stepped back into the warmth of the dining hall before Tianna had a chance to say anything else.


	5. Chapter 5

The room was still heavily locked in verbal battle when Jinx entered, something they seemed to enjoy almost as much as when they fought with swords involved.

Lux’s gaze whipped around from her father to face the now open door, eyes glistening with tears but still more concerned for Jinx than she was for herself. “Jinx! Are you okay?”

“Oh I’m great! But I think we should split, this place is kinda bumming me out. No offense,” Jinx added, turning to Lux’s family, still seated. Aside from Pieter, who stood with his palms face down on the table. 

Jinx approached Lux, taking her hand despite the audible protests from across the room. “You ready to go?” She asked. Lux nodded quietly, head down. Jinx hated to see her so defeated, it was not the woman she knew. 

All five heads in the room turned to the door as the clank of metal on marble resonated through the room: Tianna. “Luxanna,” she began, as frantically as her stoic demeanor would allow her to be. “You’re about to give up your status as a Crownguard, betray your Kingdom and your family, and throw away all you’ve worked for, for some hoodlum from Zaun?”

Jinx practically growled, clutching Lux’s hand tighter. A retort was ready on her lips, but to her surprise and delight; Lux still had some fight in her. She watched in awe as the blonde lifted her head and took a step towards her aunt, still gripping Jinx’ hand behind her. “I’m not giving anything up, auntie. You’re taking it away from me. I want to be loyal to Demacia and a proud Crownguard, and be with who I love. And maybe someday, when you see the light, that will be possible.”

“Oooooh snap!” Jinx yelled, lifting an arm up dramatically. Lux turned around, fortunately not to chide Jinx, but to head for the exit: presumably before Tianna could say anything else and ruin her moment.

Jinx moved to follow her, stopping to mutter an incredibly brief ‘thank you for your hospitality’ to the Crownguards, before skipping after her heartlight.

For someone so short Lux moved quickly; Jinx didn’t catch up with her until they were both outside on the walkway, shivering in the cold. Lux was turned away from Jinx as she approached, fists balled at her sides; and glowing.

“Hey, Luxy, we’re all good now,” Jinx said softly, slowing down as she got closer as to not startle Lux. But before she got there, the shorter woman turned around to reveal why her face was hidden in the first place. 

Wordlessly, Jinx opened her arms. Lux fell upon her in an instant, her body quivering as her emotions flooded out into Jinx’s chest. Jinx was never any good at being soothing in these situations, but she’d learned a thing or two after breaking down in Lux’s arms a few too many times. 

She found she was better with actions than with words. One arm found its way around Lux’s shoulders, holding her safely against her chest. The other cupped around her back, her fingers gently stroking her hair as they stood in the darkness. 

Lux was a quiet crier, unlike Jinx, who sobbed violently. Regardless, Jinx's dress was soaked through before long, but she didn’t care in the slightest. “I don’t know if this helps but I think I totally scarred your aunt for life back there, so. Us one, them zero?”

Jinx heard a quiet giggle and sighed, happy she hadn’t made things worse. Lux pulled away but her hands remained on Jinx’s sides, in case she needed to bury her face in her chest again. “I’m sorry-“

“Don’t be,” Jinx cut her off, planting several kisses to Lux’s forehead. “Sorry to be rude but your family sucks. Like, majorly. Like, we’re talking I’d rather hang out with Fathands and Cupcakes levels of suckage here.”

Lux was properly laughing now, and the sound almost made Jinx forget what a horrible night it had been. Almost. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Lux muttered, sniffling. “I don’t know why we even came. Part of me knew this would happen, but I thought if everything went well then maybe it would be okay.”

“We came because they invited us! But apparently that was actually just a lie so they could get me to come over and then scare me out of ever seeing you again. Idiots, right?”

Lux frowned, tilting her head to meet Jinx’ gaze. “Are you serious?”

Jinx shrugged. “That’s what Tianna told me.”

Perhaps that information was better kept to herself. But Jinx was never any good with secrets. Lux made a loud ‘ugh’ sound, the hands on Jinx’ waist suddenly gleaming brightly. 

“Uh, Luxy-poo? if you’re gonna blow off some steam could it be not on my body please and thanks,” Jinx said very quickly, wincing. It didn’t hurt, but Jinx knew all too well what she was capable of, the thought of which alone was enough to preemptively cause her pain. 

Lux yanked her hands away immediately, pulling them in close to her chest. “Sorry! It’s been so long since I’ve had to hold it in for this long.”

“Yeah, about that, can we go already? I’m freezing my nips off over here. And also this place is just the worst.” 

Just as Lux opened her mouth to answer, the front door to the Crownguard Mansion creaked open, making both women jolt upright like they’d spotted a dragon on the hunt. instinctively, Jinx moved to stand in front of Lux, shielding her from whatever wrath Tianna or Pieter was about to unleash on her. But to both women’s surprise, it was neither of the two tyrants that stepped through the door into the night. 

“Garen?” said Lux, stepping out from behind Jinx. 

The man in question looked behind him nervously, obviously new to being disobedient, before scurrying over to where Lux stood. He looked a lot older up close, Jinx noticed, or perhaps that was just the stress of the job. 

“I had to say something, before you left,” Garen started. “I’m sorry.”

Both women stood in silence, staring at Garen like a pair of priests sizing up an offering. “Is that it?” Jinx demanded after a while. Lux shot a burst of light at her feet. She shut her mouth. 

“No, that’s not it,” Garen sighed. As a military captain and worse, an older sibling, he was clearly unused to conversations of this nature. “I was wrong, we all were. But I don’t think mom, dad and auntie are going to believe that any time soon.”

“Will you speak to them?” Lux asked. Jinx rolled her eyes at how politely she spoke to him. 

“You know it would compromise my position,” Garen said, sheepish. 

“Please, Garen,” Lux asked again, stepping closer to him. “You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

Jinx caught Garen’s eye as he looked to her, then back to Lux. “I can see that it’s important to you. But I hope you still know that protecting and serving Demacia is important too.”

“I want to serve Demacia. That’s why I need you to make them see. They don’t need to cast me out,” Lux explained.

Garen sighed, resigned. “I will see what I can do. But I suggest you don’t bring Jinx back here for a while, or even mention her. But I’m sure I can negotiate you being able to still live here.”

Despite being half his size, Lux practically tackled Garen over with the force of her bear hug, squeezing him tight like a huge teddy. “Thank you, Garen.”

Jinx raised her eyes to the heavens yet again at the hideous display of comradery, checking an imaginary watch on her wrist in boredom. Lux and Garen separated just as she was about to demand that they hurry it up, lucky for them.

“Hey, Jinx, was it?” Garen asked as Lux walked back over to her, nestling comfortably into her side. 

“Yeah and what about it?” Jinx asked, wrapping an arm around the emotionally exhausted girl by her side. 

He looked her up and down as though assessing one of his own soldiers. “Take care of my sister.”

Jinx rose a hand to her forehead in a mocking salute. “On my honor, sword-captain.”

To her annoyance, Garen actually let out a snort in amusement. “I can see why you like her,” he said to Lux, offering the pair a farewell wave as he headed back up to his home, the clanking of his armor fading to mute as he did so. 

“Jeez,” Jinx said once he was out of earshot. “Brothers, right?”

Lux poked Jinx playfully in the side. “He’s doing what he can, be grateful.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jinx, waving her hand dismissively. “Can we go now?”

“Yes, Jinx. We can go now,” Lux sighed, resting her head on the taller woman’s side as she snuggled in closer, eyes falling shut.

“Great, uh, where exactly?”

Lux’s eyelids snapped open almost comically as she realized both the immediate relevance of the question, and her lack of an answer. “Shoot.”

“Hey, don’t tempt me!” Jinx barked, hands itching to yank out her Zapper gun.

Ignoring her excitable partner, Lux brought a hand to her chin as she stepped away from Jinx, who was clearly going stir-crazy in the kingdom. And even more regular crazy. 

“Ah! I know!” Lux proclaimed, and Jinx could almost see the light-bulb over her head. “The Illuminators have a little private lodge where we used to house mages who have been evicted until they get back on their feet, it’s been empty since Jarvan’s _decision,_ ” Lux explained, her voice dropping an octave as she emphasized the last word. 

Jinx knew all too well of Lux’s disapproval of the new king’s rule. The man was still young and driven by emotions, the grief of losing his father at the hands of Sylas’ magic had caused him to treat all mages as though they personally were responsible. 

With all the mages in prison, the halfway house had lost its purpose. “In a sense, you’re technically a fugitive in Demacia, so it’s okay for me to hide you in there for the night, right?” Lux asked.

Wrapping her arms around herself with a shiver, Jinx answered. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don’t see any other options so it’ll have to do, flashy.”

“I can always count on your support!” Lux said. Jinx could tell it was meant to be sarcastic, but only because she knew her so well. Lux was naturally far too kind to ever be good at faking it. “We can take one of the Vanguard’s horses, but you’ll have to sit on the back.”

“Oh, what? No fair,” Jinx whined, pouting. She followed Lux to the end of the walkway, where she paused to scan her surroundings for passing guards. When she was sure the coast was clear she set off, beckoning Jinx to follow.

“The stable’s just a little walk away. Come on, before someone sees you.”

“I still don’t understand your issue with outsiders, it’s weird,” Jinx said, running to catch up with the swiftly moving Lux. “I know they’re bad and all that, but liiiike, I’ve been to Noxus and those guys are wayyyy more tolerant. Basically anyone is welcome as long as you’re strong.”

“Noxus is an empire founded on bloodshed and dictatorship,” Lux seethed, shooting Jinx a warning glare.

Jinx shrugged, holding her hands behind her head as they walked, her thin plaits dangling by her knees. They were still in Demacia’s more wealthy district, each palace they passed more grandiose than the last. “Not much different to here then, just replace bloodshed with, I don’t know, the lack of rights.”

Lux looked about ready to burst with her retort, but Jinx spoke again, silencing her. “Just because your Kingdom is a monarchy doesn’t make it any less of a dictatorship, by the way,”

The smaller girl stammered for a moment, struggling to find an answer. Finally, she sighed in defeat. Jinx smiled triumphantly. 

“How come the only time you actually use your brain is when you’re building a weapon or discrediting my home?” Lux asked. For a moment Jinx was worried she’d gone too far, but she caught Lux’ playful smile from the corner of her eye.

“Excuse me, I use my brain at least seven quarters of the time,” Jinx said matter-of-factly, unintentionally earning a giggle from Lux. “And it’s not like I like shitting on Demacia specifically, okay I do, but really I could shit on any kingdom’s government. It’s usually Demacia through, because we talk about it so much. It’s like a parasite, this place. Blegh.”

“Oh really?” Lux said, unconvinced. “What do you have to say about Noxus then?”

“That whole ‘Council of Three’ thing that stupid bird man cooked up is a load of bull. He says it's so they can avoid a single emperor making the rules unopposed, but the three of them just stand in a circle jerk and approve each other anyway, so it's basically like having three equally terrible emperors instead of one. So you’re three times as miserable.”

“Hm, very true,” Lux agreed. “What about Piltover?”

“Oh man, those guys are the worst. Just a bunch of rich fat cats claiming they’re doing what’s right for the city, but they’re all just greedy capitalists sitting on piles of gold and Hextech.”

“Bilgewater?”

“Same thing, but with swords.”

“Freljord?”

“The whole tribal matriarchy thing is cool, but they have gotta quit killing each other over who has the best mom.”

“Ionia?”

Jinx paused for a second, looking up at the stars for guidance as she considered this. She shrugged when they provided no such counsel. “Eh, it’s magic or something.”

Lux shook her head but laughed, the sound of which brought a smile to Jinx’s lips. “I guess there’s nowhere in Valoran that can satisfy you.”

Jinx grinned wickedly, her eyes alight with red fire. “You forgot somewhere,” she said quickly, tapping her feet rapidly on the pavement to simulate a dramatic drumroll. “Don’t forget about Zaun baby!!” she sang, mostly to herself; Lux had predicted the spontaneous melodic burst and temporarily trapped Jinx in a soundproof box of light.

“You know, some say Zaun is the most unlivable Kingdom in all of Valoran,” Lux challenged, dissipating the box to release her now hyper partner. 

“Ha! Sounds like something a whiny pissbaby would say,” Jinx laughed, twirling around with her eyes closed like a girl in love. “Sure, so there’s a chance you might die at any moment from a pipe bursting and exposing you to enough sump fumes to kill a small army, but that’s what’s so fun about it! 

Jinx sighed dreamily, resting her cheek on clasped-together hands as she gazed up in a trance. “There’s no rules, and you get to live every day like it’s your last. Because there’s a real chance that it might be!”

Jinx watched Lux continue laughing, albeit a little more nervously. “Honestly, you might need to work on your sales pitch, especially since I might have to stay with you for a little while until this whole thing blows over...”

Her smile faded, and Jinx paused her relentless spinning to walk at Lux’s side, an arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Lux,” she said, and she could tell Lux was flattered by the rare use of her real name by Jinx. “You know I’ve got your back.”

The smaller girl did not reply but nestled closer into Jinx’ warm grasp, wordlessly communicating her appreciation. They continued in silence for several more minutes, until they found themselves facing an enormous, castle-like stronghold that dwarfed even the Crownguard mansion. The Dauntless Vanguard’s insufferable crest was displayed not only on several flags flying atop the building, but had been chiseled into the wall above the main entrance, so there was no mistaking how proud these men were about imprisoning innocent mages.

“Alright, I’m going to go get a horse from the stable in the back, stay here and stay out of sight,” Lux ordered.

Jinx bit her lip, excited both by the mischief and at Lux’s uncharacteristic assertiveness. Jinx wished she would do it more often, especially when they weren’t quite so exposed in the outdoors. And clothed. 

“Yes ma’am,” she purred, lowering her head in an exaggerated display of submission. “But wait! You don’t mean to tell me, are you stealing this horse Miss Crownguard? Surely you jest!”

Lux rolled her eyes. “Enjoy it, this is the last bad thing you’re gonna see me doing for a while,” she said, surveying the perimeter for any soldiers who may have left something behind at the stronghold before retiring for the night.

“Um, I’m a bad thing and you do me all the time.”

“Jinx, I swear to Targon if you don’t shut up and wait here,” Lux stated, simultaneously growing cross but playful. “I’m gonna do bad things to you!”

Painfully oblivious to the connotations her statement just had, the cheeky little light-witch disappeared around the side of the barracks, leaving Jinx to only imagine what kinds of bad things her heartlight had in mind.


	6. Chapter 6

The horse ride to the Illuminators lodge was uneventful, save for Jinx’s insistence on having a turn ‘driving’ the ‘horsey’, only for Lux’s swift refusal and reminder that bulldozing a rhinoceros through a building on one explosive night automatically disqualified her from ever controlling any mountable animal again; despite Jinx’s vigorous attempts to convince Lux that it was only ‘one time, doesn’t count.”

Lux left the horse tied outside near a pale of water, with plenty of fresh grass to keep him satisfied until his return to the stables early next morning. Jinx had groaned upon learning that this would have to take place prior to sunrise to beat the soldier’s morning routine; and avoid Jinx’s discovery before they were safely on a ship bound for Piltover. 

The lodge itself was not impressive: it was a small cabin situated about a three minute walk away from the Illuminator’s main office, as it was often vandalized by young, magic-resenting teenagers who had fallen victim to the empire’s propaganda. 

The Illumiators were a charitable group that were initially approved by Jarvan to help those ‘afflicted with magic’ to control their power. However, when it became clear that ‘control’ meant ‘contain’ in Jarvan’s eyes, the group took it upon themselves under Lux’s direction to help the mages conceal their magic from Demacian officials, but understand how to use it should they ever need to. 

From the outside, the cabin looked like a simple family home, but Jinx marveled at its surprisingly large interior once Lux released the magical lock to let them in, summoning a sphere of light in her palm to reveal the place.

Inside, there was a kitchen in one far corner opposite a dining area, complete with a table and four wooden chairs. On the other end of the room was a recreational space with a fire pit, a bookshelf, a worn looking couch, another, much smaller table, and a mysterious glowing orb sitting atop a stand adorned with moving tunes. Jinx could only assume the latter item was for mage-hands only.

“It’s not much, but it’s all we could afford with the grant from Jarvan,” Lux said, kicking her boots off at the door.

Jinx stepped further inside, still surveying her new surroundings. Past the bookshelf in the far end of the room was a passage, presumably leading to a hallway which might grant one access to bedrooms and a bathroom. Jinx imagined it was a similar layout on the second floor, which one might access via the staircase tucked away in the corner closest to the front door.

“Bigger than my place,” Jinx said rather enviously, sprawling out on the couch. It had a vague odor to it which was not necessarily unpleasant, but made it obvious that it had seated many butts before hers.

“That’s not really saying much,” Lux replied, her tone more concerned than rude. She had offered several times to purchase Jinx a new flat in Piltover, one with ‘less plague rats and more hygiene,’ but Jinx refused each time. Not only was Zaun her home, but the rats kept her company on the lonely nights; she didn’t want to hand the place over to some freak who might hire an exterminator.

Jinx kicked her feet out of her boots before swinging them onto the table, crossed. “Yeah well, it’s nice.” 

She eyed the firepit. The room was currently still lit by the light in Lux’s hand; while not so bright to hurt Jinx’s eyes, she did not find the white color especially comforting. It reminded her of an interrogation room: the light made you feel watched, but it was the shadows it made that were the ones laughing at you.

Suddenly craving some natural light, Jinx pulled her Zapper from its holster and took aim at the firepit. She squeezed the trigger once, a jolt of neon-blue shooting into the pit in an instant; but all Jinx gained was a weak crack of one of the logs as the electricity petered out on its bark. She shot again in the same spot, which glowed brighter, but was still only a single dot of light.

She was agitated now. Jinx growled and gripped the gun with both hands, shooting rapidly at the firepit like it was one of her dummies stolen from the police precinct. Lux might have said ‘that’s not going to work’, but she couldn’t hear anything over the sound of her own gun’s whirring and the gnashing of teeth.

One bolt from the muzzle struck one of the smaller pieces of tree, a twig really, which instantly caught fire. Within moments, the pit was finally ablaze, the zapping sound of her gun replaced with the warm crackle of wood.

Satisfied with the homely orange glow it cast over the room, Jinx tossed Zapper onto the coffee table and sat back, adjusting herself until her back rested on the cushions propped against the armrest, her legs supported by the long seat of the couch. “You can put your magic torch away now Luxy, I saved the day.”

In response, Jinx heard a loud clatter of metal on the hardwood floor, before Lux’s frame appeared in her range of vision. She had shed the source of the sound, her steel breastplate, leaving her in a black long-sleeve shirt, her skirt, and leggings. Jinx looked up, taking in the change with an appreciative nod: especially as her view reached Lux’s chest.

“That black is very flattering,” she remarked, earning a playful nose-flick from Lux as she came to rest on the couch. 

Jinx watched Lux mimic her own position, the couch only just managing to fit the pair of their bodies as Lux squeezed her legs between Jinx’s, falling back onto the taller woman’s chest with a sigh. Jinx brought her arms around to pull Lux closer, her chin resting on Lux’ black hairband, he faint smell of honey ticking Jinx’s nose as she breathed in her lover’s scent.

For a while the pair remained still, letting the woes of the day melt away by the warmth of the fire as they rested their bodies. Jinx hoped she wasn’t breathing too quickly that the movement of her chest bothered Lux. She always found it difficult to breath around her anyway, never mind when she was this close. Jinx still got butterflies, still found herself tripping over words and simple actions like a schoolgirl with a crush.

“Are you okay?” Lux asked quietly after a few minutes. Jinx hadn’t realized she had begun not only breathing out loud in pants, but was doing so at an alarmingly fast pace.

She swallowed the butterflies down, rubbing Lux’ arms reassuringly. “Fine, fine!” she proclaimed. “Are you?”

It was an effective deflection: Jinx could feel Lux’s body grow heavy against her with the weight of the sigh that followed. “I feel so stupid! Why did I think that bringing you here was a good idea?”

“Hey, it’s not your fault they were misleading and manipulative,” Jinx said, bringing one arm up to stroke Lux’s hair.

The blonde continued, using her hands to emphasize her words despite the fact that Jinx could barely see them from this angle. “That’s the other thing, they lied to me, they didn’t care if it hurt me as long as they got to made you feel bad. Ugh!”

“They didn’t make me feel anything other than proud of you and a little gassy.”

“I know, and I’m so happy you took it so well. But still! They just, didn’t care how I felt!”

Lux was choking on her own words, her lips pursing as she struggled to keep from vomiting out an assortment of unladylike language. 

Jinx continued carding her fingers through Lux’s hair soothingly. “I’m surprised that you’re surprised. This is Demacia, they don’t like freaks like me.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh yeah, sorry I forgot. They don’t like freaks like us.”

Jinx felt Lux shift around in her arms, craning her neck to meet Jinx’s gaze. “Am I a freak?”

“You’re my freak, sparky~” Jinx cooed, before peppering kisses all over the side of Lux’s face that was within her reach. 

The blonde giggled, squirming in Jinx’s grasp as her ticklish kisses bombarded her face. Jinx was forced to stop when Lux finally caught her lips with her own, holding her still in a long over-due kiss.

When they parted, Lux flopped back into Jinx’s chest, nuzzling a tattoo of a cloud on her arm as they enclosed her once again. 

Her breath was warm on Jinx’s skin, a reminder that she was alive. Jinx sometimes toyed with idea that she may one day not be, that one of Zaun’s many trials may claim her, or that some other force would tear them apart.

These thoughts scared her as much as she was capable of being scared. Thankfully, that wasn’t very much. Jinx was delusional, but she was not paranoid. The only made-up scenarios in her head were ones that brought a smile to her face.

So Jinx didn’t worry that they couldn’t stay in Demacia, where their very existence together was an affront to Jarvan himself. She didn’t worry about where they went really.

As long as Lux was by her side, Jinx thought as she twirled a locket of golden hair around her finger, then she was happy.

With Lux, she finally had a family.

She knew the light would always guide them home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed, please leave kudos or a comment if you did, they mean the world to me and inspire me to keep writing! <3


End file.
